Tom N Toms Review

I wasn't considering this as a blog post but it was requested by one of friends so I decided to follow that up. At first glance, Tom N Toms bears striking resemblance to Starbucks which is only a minute away (George St near Events) however one you get over the circular logo, free wi-fi and slightly higher than normal prices, there is little left for you to draw comparisons between the two despite me always referring to it as the Korean version of Starbucks to anyone who has yet to step foot inside it or has never even heard of them (heaven help that poor soul who has yet to break their Tom n Toms virginity).

Koreans masters of decor

MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE IS THEIR GREEN TEA LATTE

It is because I've ordered this drink on so many occasions that I'm almost approaching that elusive 'free drink' and the best thing about Tom n Toms is that you can opt for hot or cold for most drink options. Personally nothing can beat a hot green tea latte but you do find that Tom n Toms can be quite stuffy in which case something cold is best and refreshing.

The next thing on your must buy list is their classic honey toast, sure if you deconstruct it, it's just toast that has been buttered, toasted with cinnamon and cream and honey but put it together and you have something that even amazing. Screw the diet, ignore those pestering inner voices going inside of you that are fainting at the sight of that tower of cream because it's so light and delicious!!!

Note the green tea latte on the side, hot and cold

Gelato bread (buttered bread with cinnamon served with gelato/ice-cream) with two iced green tea lattes with one of my favourite and best friends who just so happens to share my indulgence in green tea lattes and honey toast

Apparently I don't upload photos of myself on this blog so you should be surprised that there are two photos of me but fret not, once I finish writing all these food posts it's time to share my love of fashion.

Choco butter bread (photo courtesy of 365 friend)

Chocolate mouse with buttered bread with chocolate sauce. I guess they're tapping into the desires of chocolate lovers, for me it was nice but it could not compare to the classic honey toast. They also have the honey cheese bread and apple cinnamon bread.

On top of that I have ventured out from my green tea latte obsession by trying their sodas along with their pretzels. I think its worth trying their sodas at least once

"Fashion is Confidence"

It certainly has been a long time since I've done a fashion related post and it has really irked me, I keep saying "Bitter enough with the food, there is a couture in the title for a reason".

So the above quote funnily enough was actually said by Yoo Jae Suk a Korean entertainment who is the MC of Running Man. A few weeks ago I indulged in flicking through my collection of photos from primary school and high school, I'm a very sentimental person and I had my 'what the hell was I wearing moment'. I'm sure we all experience such thoughts but that got me thinking somethings we just need to laugh at ourselves instead of being so critical. If you consider the fast fashion these days, it all had to originate from say a first mover before anyone else follows like mindless sheep adopting styles as their own. Thus, anyone can wear anything (so long as it is not indecent nor insulting), it's the way you wear something rather than what you wear that is fashion. It's the confidence of an individual that starts trends going because others will follow suit in admiration.

You could extend the above to hairstyles as well, so don't fret if you have a bad hairstyle, if you wear it proud no one will dare to criticise you.

I just want to finish this post off by mentioning one of my idols, Tavi Gevinson who I blogged about in one of my very first posts. She's such an inspirational person, at 17 now, she has accomplished so much and I still feel as though I have so much to learn from her. If you haven't heard one of her talks you should youtube her immediately because the stuff she discusses so relevant to teenage girls particularly in our contemporary society. In fact, she's actually giving a talk in the Sydney Opera House tonight, I would've gone but I found out too late so I'm eagerly awaiting the next opportunity for me to see her preach her words of wisdom in person.

I promise that the next few posts should include something fashion related because I'm going to be super busy with uni soon so that equivocates to less eating out and more takeaway so more reason to write about fashion to procrastinate from my work load.

Black Star Pastry Review

I can finally say that I have been to Black Star Pastry. A lot of people know it, it so famous and the food and its quality  is unparalleled with any other patisserie in the area, and perhaps even state. I'm sure that if you're reading this then at least 100 bloggers will share the same opinion as me, so this is going to be a 'review' without being too repetitive because I don't want to bore you.

Located on Australia St, Black Star Pastry is pretty much opposite the station, you can also bus it from the city/Usyd so to an extent it is in an accessible location. Dining is minimal so I suggest you get takeaway although if you get coffee on the go then you can't appreciate the coffee art.  

My precious cargo during the train trip home- they're so fragile

Strawberry Watermelon Cake with Rose Scented Cream $7 per slice

Cake consists of two layers of Almond Dacquoise, fresh whipped cream, watermelon, strawberries, Iranian pistachios and rose petals.

I find it so hard to dub something the 'best .......' but this cake is definitely one of the best cakes out there, it is so refreshing and light as well. If you're dieting then prepare to have your self-restraint because just the very smell of this cake will make you want to grab the nearest spork/fork. What I found really interesting was the layer of watermelon wedged in the middle in between the adjacent cream and then almond dacquoise. If your eyes are deceiving you, it is an actual layer of the fruit, watermelon. 

As soon as I saw 'Shirley' written on their menu list I knew I just had to plan a third trip.

Presentation- LOVE IT!

Truffle Eclair $8.50 (only available during their annual truffle weekend)

My first truffle experience and I love it. I think you will see me at Black Star Pastry's next truffle weekend. To sum it up, I would say that this eclair was simply decadent, and truffle is said to make anything taste better. 

There were also specks of truffle in the cream

Ginger Ninja $4

Lamb Shank and Red Wine pie $7.80

You know I usually don't take photos of half-eaten food but I just had to make this the exception. Look at all that meat, did not have my 'Jake' moment and it was DIVINE. Like what everyone before, and those after will continue to say it, but THIS PIE IS SO GOOD. Words cannot do it justice, I am that serious. I would have raved about Bert's pie pastry had I not tried this. Black Star Pastry's puff pastry in this pie is on another level altogether. So add Black Star Pastry's watermelon cake and lamb shank pie onto your food wish list and go and try it for yourself. NB you should try and get in the morning or early lunch otherwise they'll be sold out, just last week they ran out of their watermelon cake by 1:30 pm and they make a lot of these so that's how hectic the demand is.

Lorraine's Patisserie + Bert's Pie Review

Guys, Friday was the last day to receive your free Bert's pie. Did you know that I was like the 5th person to get Bert's Pie (I went early on Monday)? A few of the recommendations I had for my friends when they went to Lorraine's Patisserie was they should ideally arrive a bit before noon otherwise you'll find yourself stuck waiting in a very long queue with office workers.

The pie that has been gaining attention this week
RRP $7.90
Comments: This pastry is heavenly, before they handed out the pies they told us that they had to wait for the oven so that the pastry was just right and it was. I was a bit surprised to see dark brown top but for amazing puff pastry I can push aside the dread and my qualms of eating carcinogenic burnt food. A part from the pastry, I also loved the beef chunks in there, they were so tender as well so this pie is definitely a contender for the 'best pie' except I wasn't a great fan of the stuffing. It's probably just me and my Asian taste buds so I guess I'm not a fan of chunky soup flavoured pie filling.

Strawberry Mascarpone Cake $8 per slice

I have to first say that $8 is very dear for a slice of cake but considering the generous serving and the lovely mascarpone cheese (and it's price) I can forgive them for charging so much. The blow torched sugar on top provided added another texture, together with the strawberries and coconut everything complemented each other. I find coconut to be such a dominant ingredient but I have absolutely nothing to fault with this cake. It is truly worth being called Lorraine's Pastisserie's signature cake. Also, everything is made in house, visit them one day because you see their spectacular open kitchen. I just wish that they could provide some seating or dining in options.

Cafe Cre Asion Review

After having eaten 30+ macarons now, I do believe that I can be considered quite the expert when it comes to judging what the perfect macaron should be like. Having heard some positive feedback about Cre Asion macarons, I decided to give them a go.

Located on the fringe of Surry Hills, I guess you can class Cre Asion as a local treasure- not many people know of it except for locals or those who work around there. What I love about places like Cre Asion is the trek to find it, of course I don't go on a wild goose chase but it feels good to find the place you're searching for, it's often the obscure places that are a real treat and have something special to offer. Whilst this place is quite small the locals know it exists so that's all that matters, the rest is history because word-of-mouth is an invaluable asset. At first I was mesmerised by their array of macarons and I was so excited seeing them in exotic flavours, flavours which I though only Adriano Zumbo would dare to experiment with. I first had lunch there, originally my order was takeaway but upon seeing those adorable seats I just had to plop my glutinous maximus on them (hahaha I'm strange mood right now so don't mind me) and sit back and enjoy the atmosphere. The only problem was that I was at the city for an appointment, so alone and thus lacking an eating buddy (forever alone) and that got me thinking about how a few of my friends and I want to eat out at lots of places but we just can't find times when we're both available and thus we have resort to eating alone which for many (if not everyone) is considered socially unacceptable. So as my readers, let's be understanding of each other, let us not look down on someone eating their lunch on their own next time because you're bound to find yourself in the same position and also another thing that irks me is how often people are on their phones. I will tolerate if and only if you're by yourself because you need to preoccupy yourself but if you're eating with others then enjoy their company, why else would you guys eat together or is just for convenience? Enough of that tangent I'm going to end it with this article my friend showed me about Stop the 'Phubbing'  So if this has become one of your pet peeves then help me start this campaign against using mobiles (for a purpose other than text and call) at meal times and the social stigma of eating alone.

What you see is what you get, quite literally. It's amazing how their tiny kitchen (not even on par with my own) is able to churn out so much food and macarons, although they do have an industrial oven.

Sandwich: Smoke Salmon, Pickled Fennel, Capers and Soft Boiled Eggs $11

When I saw the price list, I was skeptical about how big my sandwich was going to be and wow it was so filling and this was at 2pm so I was starving. Great feed! I will definitely come back for more the only problem and this is just me but I loved the runny yolk, it's just that it was dripping and so it became really awkward to eat plus I cried (inside) when I saw the yolk dripping if I were at home then I would have no shame but that doesn't apply when I'm outside.  

How cool is that seat, it looks like a book

Macarons $2.70 each

8 for $21

24 for $55 

and there's one other option but I forgot to note that sorry

Cute box aptly next to my beloved Casio fx-82AU PLUS calculator

From the top: Bamboo Charcoal, Thai milk tea 'chanon', green tea, ginger bread, lavender, yuzu, rum raisin, truffle

My 3 favourite flavours

Edible Glitter

Before I begin, I just want to give a bit of a preface. For the most part, I was disappointed with their macarons because they were almost all hollow. I wish I was exaggerating (I'm not) when I say this but when you bit into them you see can see through to the other side and that's why they look so fat. Another critique of mine is the irregularity of the sizing for the macarons.

Gingerbread- shell very light almost hollow because of which it practically fell apart when you bit into it but you definitely get that gingerbread flavour and surprising it wasn't too sweet but again I have yet to have ginger bread or ginger bread flavoured food that meets the level of ginger that I like.

Lavender- again the shell was very hollow that's probably why they look so fat. flavouring itself was, to my surprise very pleasant to eat.

Bamboo charcoal- this was by far the most bizarre flavour i've seen or heard. What does bamboo charcoal even taste like? Is it like bamboo shoots because how else do humans eat bamboo, are we pandas and then is there suppose to be a smoked taste to it because of the charcoal. So I'll just do my best to explain what it tastes like... I think bamboo charcoal= black sesame, because that's what it tastes like. I'm guessing the charcoal is from the roasted black sesame seeds and the shell of this one wasn't as hollow as the others.

Green tea- hollow shell but the flavour was amazing

Rum raisin- very thin layer of ganache, I get the raisin where's the rum.

Yuzu- I swear this tasted like mango

Chanon- aka thai milk tea and finally a non-hollow macaron shell, lots of ganache and the Thai milk came through so well

Truffle- (white) hollow shell was a bit too sweet

Apologies for the brevity of the last few but I think you can imagine what I will say.

Bitter's personal macaron list for Sydney:
1. Baroque Bistro/ La Renaissance
2. Adriano Zumbo
3. Laudree
4. Cre Asion

Please note that this list is based upon my own experience eating the macarons of each of these places, Cre Asion would've been placed at 3 if it weren't for the fact that almost all of my macarons had hollow shells which is a big no no which implies bad expertise as I have never come across it elsewhere. Having said that, I have seen other photos where Cre Asion macarons do resemble the so-called perfect macaron so maybe (this is just me thinking) the batch that I bought weren't made by the owner Yu Sasaki. Perhaps, when I'm in the area, I'll pay them a visit again.

It's Pie Week

ATTENTION all Sydney-siders this week only you have the opportunity to get a free pie made by Est head chef Alex Woolley. Why you ask? Who cares! But if you are interested, Merivale which owns an array of lovely and well worth your money restaurants (just google them), is looking to create the perfect pie and sausage roll and with experimentation with lots of food comes FREEBIES. So this week only you can receive at free 'Bert's Pies', Lorraine's Patisserie (100 free pies every day from noon between Monday August 5 and Friday August 9), Establishment Bar (100 free pies everyday from noon on Wednesday August 7) and Hotel CBD (250 free pies from Tuesday August 6). I know I'm heading down to Lorraine's, and this is the perfect opportunity for me to go and try her pastries. 

Aroma Festival 2013

My first Aroma Festival celebrating all things coffee or at least that was what I thought the crux of the event was. In a nutshell, it where around 50 coffee shops/suppliers set up stall in The Rocks to sell coffee but let's not stop here because with Festivals, it's only mandatory for food stalls to present. Thus if you went, you would have been astounded by the crowds (busy even at 10 in the morning <-- the official start time) the most people I've seen in the Rocks apart for NYE. For anyone thinking of going then go get and buy everything you want then because I hope you're patient because I certainly am not. Expect a 40+ queue for churros and an unprecedented number (you're looking at at least 15) of people lining up for coffee and this isn't exclusive to one coffee stall, this applies to literally each one there.

My first and last coffee of the day and it was free! I would've actually bought some coffee if it weren't for the long lines.

 Unprecedented crowds at 11 o'clock in the morning

Too many people for short ol'd me

Waterfront! I'm adding this place to my eat wish list, the whole place is really cool, first there's the harbour views but you can see the view anywhere including Westpac building in Wynyard but the outdoor dining forms the deck of the 'ship'. If you can't see it click on the photo above and you can see where the mast ends.

Cute cups at The Rocks market

Wild Hibiscus

You know I first heard of Looma's from Facebook because it was one of the ads on the side and I actually clicked on them because I was considering catering options.

Macarons, would've tried them had I not planned to go Zumbo at The Star

Profiteroles priced at $2.50 each

I swear they looked bigger on display, but it was so nice

L: Coffee Mosaic, twas so cool, my friend and I tried to count the number of coffee cups needed but I gave up
R: Gingerbread Man $5- Why does gingerbread not have ginger? It seems logical right well no, because so far all the gingerbread that I've bought had only a hint of ginger in it, in fact it was so faint that I wouldn't even consider it as gingerbread. The exception was my first ever gingerbread and that was bought from a market up in the Lower Blue Mountains and never again have I tried gingerbread that was even on par with that first experience. If anyone loves gingerbread the way I do, though there aren't many of you, please do let me know so I can rekindle my love for gingerbread men.

 The highly sought after cup, jokes only I wanted it

Finally, time to do my part to save Australia's lagging tourism industry. They say a picture tells a thousand words so take what you must out of this iconic landmark.